Was going to say - this sounds like Dead Hand Mark 2.
The article actually speaks of a nuclear weapon in a torpedo designed to hit our east coast and produce some fallout: what would be a real dirty bomb. The numbers, of course, are wildly exaggerated.
The Russian threats in propaganda have been even more like threats from Iran than during the Cold War (that is, more funny). And dirty nukes hitting sand on the shores of our east coast would affect relatively small numbers of ocean creatures more than anything.
But yes, some kind of “Dead Hand” system is probably ready in Russia in the form of an automated fail safe system. The nuclear exchange threat is getting closer than before. It is survivable for many, though, and military forces have known that all along. Attempts at invasions would still follow.
One real threat is that of fear in influential political constituents and voters, and desires to direct too much funding away from defense in the meantime. Another real threat would be a kind of attack that we would be less likely to expect.
In any case, our Second Amendment also becomes more important from here on out for several reasons. This is where we live. This is where we produce for warfare however needed. This is where we recruit and train. This is where we would rise to fight again. Foreign leaders who want us out of their way for their efforts at expansion are aware of that.
More physical fitness education and promotions for young people wouldn’t hurt, either. Those are cheap in comparison to training men in person to fight.
There was underwater testing of nukes done fairly early on. I wonder what size devices were used and what size waves were produced as a result of such usage.